


That XX

by ddaIgi_uyu



Series: 24 Solar Terms [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27415945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddaIgi_uyu/pseuds/ddaIgi_uyu
Summary: Please let go of his hand now.
Relationships: Toph Beifong/Sokka, Toph Beifong/Zuko
Series: 24 Solar Terms [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1960744
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	That XX

**立冬 (Lìdōng)**   
**The 19th Term: Winter Begins**   
**Winter**   
**11月7日**

The smell of freshly cooked ramen enchanted Toph's senses as she took her seat on the kitchen island. She gently took a sip of the soup using the spoon and reveled after the taste settled on her taste buds.

"This so good, Hotpants! Your tea might not be the best but your ramen is definitely my favorite!" She then grabbed her chopsticks and indulged herself with the noodles, making short slurping sounds. This earned a giggle from Zuko as he ate his ramen. The Fire Nation Palace's kitchen is filled with chewing and slurping sounds, the two preferred to enjoy their food in peace and didn't talk much. 

Zuko thought that Toph's presence alone is enough for him. He took advantage of her feet's absence from the ground to look at her. With this, she wouldn't determine his actions with her seismic sense. He slowly chewed his food and ogled at her in silence. Zuko adored Toph's plumpy cheeks, button nose, cherry lips, and her foamy pale green eyes. He felt bad that those eyes will never be able to see the beauty she has.

Zuko didn't know when did he start catching these feelings for Toph. It felt wrong since she's younger than him and she's such a good friend for him. It felt wrong, but it felt right whenever she's near him. He could only enjoy these little things with her, he doesn't want to harm her for his selfish needs, he loves her so much. Like the brown leaves falling from a tree branch during autumn, cradled and swayed by the wind, he let himself fall slowly into depths of his feelings for Toph. And like the creeping winter, he will silently wither in the coldness of unrequited.

Zuko's thoughts abruptly stopped when Toph gasped after her hand accidentally knocked a glass of juice. The orange liquid spilled on the table and the glass turned into shards after hitting the ground. Her right hand soaked with the fruity juice. Zuko immediately got up and took bunch of paper towels and placed it on the wet surface then later reaching for her hand. 

"Do not stand up, yet. I'll call the servants to clean the broken glass on the floor, it might cut your barefeet." Zuko said as he gently wiped her hand.

"Oh please, I can still manage even if it cut my soles. You're acting like a mother, Hotpants. Are you going to replace Sugar Queen now?" 

Toph chuckled after mocking Zuko, but he didn't answer. Instead, he continued what he was doing and took his time to wipe her hand, silently enjoying this chance to touch her. The enjoyment he felt immediately stopped when the ring she's wearing caught his attention. _Yeah, the couple ring of Sokka and Toph. Toph made those rings with her metalbending._ He then remembered what happened last week, he really wants to tell Toph what happened, but he doesn't know if when is the right time to tell her.

"You should remove that ring, Toph."

"Huh? Why?"

Zuko thought for awhile, thinking of a better excuse.

"So that I can clean your hands well. The dried juice will get sticky on that area. Remove it for awhile."

"No. I'll just wash my hands later, thanks." Toph firmly said and took her hand away from Zuko.

"Really? Even just for awhile?"

"Well, Sokka and I made a promise not to remove it no matter what happens!" Toph said with enthusiasm, clearly showing how proud she is to have Sokka as her boyfriend. Her long time crush even before the war ended.

Zuko hid the pang of jealousy by throwing the paper towel away and ringing the bell to call the servants, asking them to clean the mess on the floor. They continued eating in silence as the servants did what they're told.

As they finished their meal, Zuko made sure that no one is around, just him and Toph, before telling her what happened last week.

"I saw Sokka and Suki at Ba Sing Se last week."

Toph furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She remained silent and Zuko took this opportunity to continue.

"They visited Uncle's tea shop, and Sokka removed his ring when they entered. I saw it because I was helping Uncle that time, it was my day off from my duty here in the palace."

"Well, I don't mind him meeting with some of our friends. There's nothing wrong with that." Toph tried to make her voice steady but Zuko noticed her voice wavered.

"Do you consider it as a friendly meeting when they quickly kissed when they thought that nobody's looking at them, Toph?"

"Then it's not him! It's not them!" Toph quickly stood up and slammed her hands on the table, making small dents after subconsciously earthbending the marble material. Zuko took a deep breath as he sips on his tea, still remaining silent.

"He will not do such things. I love him and I know that he loves me too. Besides, Suki and him already broke up. And him removing our ring? That's so not him!"

"So you're okay with your boyfriend having tea and sweets with his past lover? Just the two of them? You need to let go of him if he's like that!"

Toph felt uneasy when she felt the steady heartbeats of Zuko as he speaks, this means that he's not lying. _This can't be happening. This is not the truth!_

"I SAID, IT'S NOT HIM!"

The small dents turned into wider cracks and the marble table of kitchen island is barely standing. Zuko stood up and walked away to place his tea cup on the sink before getting back near Toph.

"Listen, Hotpants, I know that things for you weren't easy after you and Mai broke up, I understand you and you know that I'll always got your back, but that doesn't mean that you will try to drag me with that kind of mes-"

"Okay, Okay... Maybe you're right. Maybe it's not really them..."

Zuko cutted Toph off. He took another deep breath and assured Toph with heavy heart. He unwillingly lied so that he wouldn't have to see her getting hurt.

"It's not them." Zuko quickly said. Although Toph already heard the words she wanted to hear from Zuko, she can sense his heavy heartbeats from the grounds, these pulses are very different from the pulses he had earlier when he was talking about what he saw last week. _Zuko is lying now._

Toph said nothing as she quickly left the kitchen hall, trying to hide her tears that are starting to stain her cheeks, which didn't go unnoticed to Zuko as he watched her walked away. Zuko thought that he didn't realize that Toph could actually be even more blind than she is just because of Sokka. Zuko hates seeing Toph hurt like this and he can't do anything about it, knowing Toph's stubborn nature. Zuko thought that having Toph alone made Sokka lucky yet he did such things behind her back.

_**"What does ~~that bastard~~ have that I don’t?"** _

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys, it's been awhile since I updated my stories, and to tell you the truth, I don't know if I should continue. My files where my drafts stored got deleted because of my tablet's glitch and it made me lose my interest since I didn't even know what to do now. It will take me another time to finish my works. Even the drafts and ending for my dark fic "Trust" got deleted. I'm so sorry guys. I might take a break, but I will never leave the Toko Community. I just need time.


End file.
